Nick Griffin expelled: Is the BNP falling apart?

Nick Griifin's expulsion from the British National Party for his behaviour suggests weaknesses in the party

Nick Griffin has been expelled from the British National Party, following claims he was attempting to destabilise the party by lying about expenses and harassing other members.

This comes just four months after Griffin was ousted as leader following a disastrous run of election results. In May, the BNP lost all of its Euro MP’s and all but two of it’s counsellors in the local and European elections. This included Griffin’s own seat in Brussels. He was replaced in the leadership position, by Adam Walker who established the conduct committee which decided on Griffin’s removal.

In a letter to Mr Griffin, published on the BNP’s website, it states that he brought “the party into disrepute through public statements” and prepared a report which lied about “key party personnel and finances.” It also states that there has been at least one case where Griffin made “physical threats” against member of BNP staff.

In a concluding statement Mr Jefferson, a member of the conduct committee, said: “Nick did not adjust well to being given the honourary title of President and it soon became obvious that he was unable to work as an equal member of the team and alarmingly his behaviour became more erratic and disruptive.”

Griffin was party chairman for 15 years, after he joined the party in 1995. In that time he led it to some of the highest levels of success that the party has seen, winning 2 MEP seats in the 2009 European election. His far right views have seen criminal charges brought against him, most recently in 2004 when he was arrested on suspicion of inciting racial hatred.

The BNP is a far right party which advocates "voluntary resettlement whereby immigrants and their descendants are afforded the opportunity to return to their lands of ethnic origin.” Mr Griffin shares the parties views, and has been reported to have denied the holocaust as well as making inflammatory remarks about Islam.

While Griffin represented the far-right views of the British National Party, his attempts in recent years to distance himself from some of his earlier racist views, have allowed the BNP a greater level of success than they have had previously.

During the recession and other economic and social issues, such as the riots in 2011, many thought that voters would turn to the BNP out of disillusionment with the leadership of the country, and that their political position would rise.

However the results of recent elections suggest that this is no longer the case. Furthermore the expulsion of such a key figure from the party, and his ability to unsettle it to such an extent, suggests a weakness within the BNP which may result in the end of the parties relative success.

His destabilisation of it suggests a lack of unity within the extreme party, which is unlikely to result in a successful campaign for next year’s general election.

For many Griffin represented the BNP, and, while recently his input may have already led to a weakening of the party, without him the party will surely struggle to achieve any level of success. It is impossible for the BNP to disguise it’s extremist and inflammatory views, and without a strong figurehead, they will struggle to find any support.

It seems that Britain no longer has room for such a far right party which expresses views at odds with the vast majority of the population.